Vinery has an enviable record of having one of the best strike rates of Group 1 winners to Lots sold from the Easter Sale.
Most recently, Gr.1 winner Aristia (Lonhro) was sold by Vinery Stud at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, from only a small but highly select draft. Aristia won the 2018 VRC Oaks and has since been Gr.1 placed on two other occasions, with prizemoney over a million dollars. Throw in Champion 2yo Entisaar, Gr.2 winners Villemont (All Too Hard) and Miss Siska, and recent Group placed three-year-old Saas Fee (All Too Hard) and you understand why people buy with confidence from this renowned nursery.
“We are very excited to present five select yearlings by proven, top tier stallions including the likes of I Am Invincible, Snitzel, More Than Ready Tavistock and Sebring. As one would expect, these yearlings boast strong pedigrees and have the physical attributes to match. Vinery has an exceptional record of graduates having offered Gr.1 winners Aristia, Russian Revolution, Commanding Jewel, Delectation, Shamus Award, Samaready, Benicio, and Entisaar through Inglis Easter alone and anticipate buyers will return in search of further success at the highest level,” said Vinery’s Harry Roach.
Vinery will once again present this premium draft of just five yearlings at Easter 2020, with a filly by their resident Champion sire More Than Ready who is sure to be popular with buyers. Lot 235 is out of winning Redoute’s Choice mare Tale of Choice, who was also placed in the Gr.2 Sweet Embrace Stakes. This yearling filly is her second foal, and Tale of Choice is a daughter of American Gr.2 winner Cat By The Tale (Tale of the Cat).
“A neat filly very much in the mould of her sire. She has very good strength, is well balanced and is a fluent mover; everything you want to see from a quality More Than Ready filly,” commented Harry.
More Than Ready’s Golden Slipper winning son Sebring has Lot 174, a filly and the second foal of Gr.3 winner Runway Star (Northern Meteor). This is the family of Gr.1 winners Wrap Around, and Fashions Afield, as well as young sire Kiss and Make Up (More Than Ready), and last season’s New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Imelda Mary.
“The Sebring yearling is a very attractive filly who is of good size and strength and is all quality. She has a real presence about her – an exceptional type.”
The three colts in the draft are all by champion stallions with female pedigrees to match. Triple champion sire Snitzel; sire of nearly 100 Stakes winners, is one of the hottest stallions in the sale ring and for good reason. His colt, Lot 480, has plenty of speed on his dam’s side, being out of Gr.2 winner Hallowell Belle (Starcraft), who was Gr.1 placed in the Blue Diamond Stakes, Flight Stakes, Patinack Classic (now the VRC Sprint Classic) and the TJ Smith Stakes. This colt is her third foal, and her first foal is already a winner.
“From a family of quality sprinters, the Snitzel colt is a very attractive colt with good size and strength. He has done really well throughout the preparation and will only continue to improve.”
One of Snitzel’s finest daughters was Gr.1 Lightning Stakes winner Snitzerland, and she’s had an outstanding start to her broodmare career leaving Gr.3 winner Hard Landing (All Too Hard) and 2019 Gr.3 Belle Of The Turf Stakes placed Saas Fee (All Too Hard). Her third foal is Lot 209, a colt by last season’s Champion 2yo Sire I Am Invincible. Snitzerland is also a full sister to Group winner and exciting young sire Sooboog.
Roach said, “Lot 209 is one of the highlight pedigrees of the draft. A neat, quality colt and a lovely mover, he’s quite a powerful individual and with his solid pedigree I expect him to be very popular.”
Tavistock, who died recently, is a great loss to New Zealand breeding. The sire of VRC Derby winner Tarzino, Australian Derby winner Tavago, Hong Kong Champion and multiple Gr.1 winner Werther, and multiple Gr.1 winner Volkstok’n’barrell, is the sire of Lot 378. This colt is out of Gr.2 winner Champagne Harmony (Montjeu), making him a half-brother to Gr.1 placed Sezanne (More Than Ready). This is the family of New Zealand Derby winner St Reims, Mackinnon Stakes winner Champagne, and dual New Zealand Horse of the Year and dual Oaks winner Bonneval.
“The Tavistock is a strong colt with good size and scope who will continue to furnish into a nice three-year-old type. He’s got a lovely lose walk and really covers the ground with ease.”
Buyers can inspect the Vinery draft at the Easter Sale with confidence, knowing they are buying from a farm with a strong record of raising elite racehorses who are competitive in Australia’s best races. The Vinery graduates have continually shone on the track and the 2020 Vinery Easter draft is set to shine in the Inglis sale ring at the Riverside Stables in April. ©
